Tomorrow, 28 June is Te Kāhui o Matariki. This significant day, which is also a public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand, recognises the rising of the star cluster known as Matariki, which marks the start of the Māori new year for many. The holiday is celebrated on a different date each year depending on the lunar calendar. Matariki is also an opportunity for the College to reflect on how we recognise and celebrate te ao Māori within the College and contribute to hauora Māori (Māori health).

In a first for our College, earlier this month, applications opened for the RANZCP Certificate of Postgraduate Training in Clinical Psychiatry. Funded by the Australian Government, the Certificate is a new program that aims to reduce workforce pressures and improve access to skilled mental health support in the Australian community. It is aimed at medical practitioners (PGY5+) who want to enhance their skills in the provision of mental health care. The inaugural cohort will commence the program in September this year.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to all College members, community members, other stakeholders and staff involved in the consultation, development and launch of the Certificate. The ongoing support of College Fellows is instrumental in the success of this initiative. We are currently seeking applications from Fellows in Australia who would like to be involved in supervising and assessing Certificate participants. Fellows will receive an honorarium for eligible activities. 

On a different note, the Membership Engagement Committee surveyed our members earlier this year to understand their views on member benefits, College services, communication and personal engagement with the College. We received over 1,200 responses and early insights suggest that members value our CPD program, College journals and access to online resources and modules. However, there’s a feeling of disengagement amongst some members, and the College can do more to improve their sense of connection. Initial findings are available now and I’ll provide further updates throughout the year.

Every year at Congress, the College’s Psychiatry Interest Forum (PIF) delivers a tailored, concurrent program providing valuable networking and educational opportunities for its members. I’m pleased to share feedback from some of the attendees who reflected on their experience at this year’s Congress. Congress Co-Convenor and Scientific Program Chair, A/Prof Jeffrey Looi, has also reflected on some of the highlights from our 60^th annual RANZCP Congress.

As part of our College’s efforts to continuously improve our offering to members, design updates to MyCPD now make it easier to use on mobile devices. Changes include improved layout for readability, larger buttons that make it easier to add activities, and redesigned menus optimised for mobile. You can add MyCPD to your smartphone or tablet home screen using these instructions.

And finally, I once again extend my congratulations to the four Fellows who were recognised in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours Lists for their service to mental health and psychiatry. You can read more about them on our website.

Dr Elizabeth Moore
RANZCP President